Month: June 2017

Normally, Audi’s Technical Development team conceals their secret prototypes with a special adhesive foil with a camouflaged pattern of black and white swirls. However, this time Audi Design developed a new camouflage foil with a Spider-Man design specifically for the appearance on the red carpet at the world premiere of ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’. The traditional swirl design has been modified to incorporate spider webs on the vehicle doors and within the signature rings.

Even before its official world premiere, the first glimpses of the Audi A8’s can be seen on the big screen in ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ – viewers can see parts of the front and side designs in the film. In addition, moviegoers also get to see Audi AI Traffic Jam Pilot in action when Happy Hogan drives Peter Parker and momentarily removing his hands from the wheel. Thanks to the activated Audi AI Traffic Jam Pilot, the Audi A8 can take over the task of driving and continues to move autonomously.

Audi is set to officially present the new A8 to the public on July 11, 2017 at the Audi Summit (www.summit.audi) in Barcelona. ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’, featuring the new Audi A8, can be seen in movie theaters worldwide in July.– End –

Fuel consumption of the models named above:Audi A8 (next generation):This vehicle is not yet offered for purchase. It does not yet have type approval and is therefore not subject to the directive 1999/94/EC.

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“In Höljes, I won in 2014 and 2015. It goes without saying that I’d have liked to clinch my third big trophy there,” says the reigning Rallycross World Champion. “But the DTM has priority and, regrettably, I can’t split myself in half. Fortunately, my boss, Dieter Gass, made the decision for me.”

His Swedish compatriot P-G Andersson will take Ekström’s place in Höljes. The 2004 and 2007 Junior Rally World Champion is no stranger to the World RX. In 2014, he debuted in the 560-hp Audi S1 EKS RX quattro at the World RX round in Turkey. In the 2015 season, the now 37-year-old Andersson contested ten rounds in a VW Polo for Marklund Motorsport, scoring a fourth place in Belgium as his best result. “When Mattias called me I didn’t think twice. The opportunity to sit in his car again and to compete against the world’s best rallycross campaigners is an honor for me, especially in Höljes of all places. I can hardly wait doing my first laps in Friday’s free practice.”

Competing in Sweden alongside Andersson will be EKS’ regular drivers Toomas Heikkinen and Reinis Nitišs. “Höljes is no doubt the craziest World RX round of the year,” says Heikkinen. “Every year, the fans party big time there in the Swedish hinterland with music, BBQ and rallycross. Our focus, of course, is on racing. Even without Mattias we’d like to recapture second place in the teams’ standings.” His teammate Nitišs has high expectations of the seventh in a total twelve rounds too: “In 2014 and 2015, I just barely missed a podium in fourth and fifth at Höljes. I’d like to do better this time. The ‘Magic Weekend’ would indeed be magic if I could celebrate my first trophy win with EKS on Sunday.”

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Second place on the Nordschleife: At the third round of the VLN Endurance Championship on the Nürburgring, the LMS Engineering team celebrated a podium result. Matthias Wasel, Marcus Löhnert and Christian Schmitz shared an Audi RS 3 LMS in the four-hour race and finished second in the TCR class.

Podium result in Portugal: An Audi customer team lifted a trophy at the fourth weekend of the FIA ETCC. Plamen Kralev from Bulgaria was second in the Audi RS 3 LMS in the second heat when the race had to be ended after four laps due to damaged track barriers.

Audi Sport TT Cup

The sole city race on the calendar: In the Audi Sport TT Cup, Nuremberg represents the only circuit on a non-permanent race track. The 16 juniors as well as the guest starters will line-up on the 2.3-kilometer-long circuit close to the “Dutzendteich” lake. British table-leader Philip Ellis is so far undefeated and heads to Nuremberg with a 17-point advantage of Polish racing driver Gosia Rdest. A further then points behind is Dutchman Milan Dontje. Amongst the rookies it is very close as well: the Swiss Yannik Brandt is the best newcomer so far, five points ahead of the Italian Tommaso Mosca. Six points behind Mosca follows Keagan Masters from South Africa.

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For the survey, Audi polled almost 5,000 members of “Generation Z” (born in 1995 or later) and “Generation Y” (born between 1980 and 1994). The company primarily targeted its own employees, apprentices and trainees, and bachelor’s and master’s students writing their final‑year thesis, as well as students and interns on courses of dual study and training. External students were also polled. The company can use the results to analyze the needs of the various generations of employees. “There have so far been many assumptions about the expectations of ‘Generation Z’ with regard to their working lives, but very few scientific surveys,” stated Thomas Sigi, Board of Management Member for Human Resources at AUDI AG. “The results of our survey supply us with new and in many cases surprising impulses for the further development of our modern world of work.”

For example, no confirmation was found for the theory that the youngest generation of employees is no longer willing to remain with a single employer: 48 percent of the “Generation Z” persons polled would be happy to spend their entire working life with one employer, irrespective of the kind of work involved. This generation therefore actually seems to be more loyal than “Generation Y” with 37 percent. Just 7 percent of those polled from “Generation Z” could not imagine spending their whole career with one employer. With “Generation Y,” that is 8 percent.

On the subject of work‑life balance, there are only minimal differences between “Generation Y” and “Generation Z”. Both generations generally prefer a separation between working life and private life, but believe that the two should adapt to each other flexibly, depending on their life situation (GenY: 65 percent; GenZ: 64 percent). A strict separation is desired by 24 percent of “Generation Z” and 16 percent of “Generation Y.” There are only small differences between the generations also on the question of career goals: About a third of each generation would like to have a career in management; 40 percent want their career to develop in relation to their respective life situation.

For the selection of the employer, general development and career possibilities are the most important criterion for “Generation Z”. Possibilities for further training and job security are the second and third most important. These are followed by pay commensurate with performance and interesting work, while compatibility of career and private life is in sixth place. The latter is in first place for “Generation Y”, followed by pay commensurate with performance and interesting work. The Audi experts believe that these results are affected by the age factor: “Whereas ‘Generation Z’ people are just starting their careers, those of ‘Generation Y’ are also thinking about starting a family,” stated Gunnar Klein, Head of Employee Surveys at AUDI AG. “We have to take this age and socialization effect into consideration when analyzing the results of our surveys.”

The surveys are currently being evaluated at Audi. The poll results will flow into the new Audi human‑resources strategy and will thus have an impact in many areas: from human‑resources marketing to training and further training as well as international human‑resources management. In many cases, the results confirm the course taken by Audi. Since last year, for example, employees have had the option of mobile work when it is compatible with their tasks. And in addition to the traditional management career, Audi offers career development as a specialist. This means that first‑class specialists can reach management positions also without taking on leadership responsibility. And the company is attractive also in terms of job security, with its employment guarantee until 2020 and the guarantee to take on successful apprentices and trainees into permanent employment.

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DTM shooting star René Rast in his Audi RS 5 DTM after the first third of the season is leading the standings. His track record at the Norisring is strong, highlighted by success in 2012 when Rast in the Porsche Carrera Cup took pole position twice, won both races and set two fastest race laps. “I like city circuits,” says the campaigner from Audi Sport Team Rosberg that is leading the teams’ classification. “The Norisring is a great challenge. It’s bumpy and you have to brake late – that suits my style.”

His teammate, Jamie Green, is nicknamed “Mr. Norisring.” An amazing four times the Briton has won on the short, 2.3-kilometer city street circuit between the “Dutzendteich” lake and the Nuremberg soccer stadium. “There are other DTM tracks I find more challenging to race on,” says the Briton. “But for the fans, the circuit is perfect. And that the Norisring suits me well is something I’ve not only proven by having won there four times. I’ve always been fast there.”

This can be said about Mattias Ekström as well, who has been racing at the Norising for 17 years as one of the strongest Audi drivers on every occasion. While the Swede has been on podium in Nuremberg seven times to date, he is still lacking a victory at the Norisring. This weekend will present him with two more opportunities for which he has even passed up his participation in the World RX round in his homeland. “I’m happy that my boss (Dieter Gass) has made this decision for me,” says Ekström. “That of all events there’s a clash between my home race in Höljes and one of my favorite races in the DTM is a real shame. I’d have loved racing at both events but, unfortunately, that’s not possible.”

“It was a very difficult decision because we’re still early in the season and Mattias has title chances in both championships,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dieter Gass. “But the factory commitment in the DTM has priority for us. Mattias can win his third DTM title this year and has always been very strong at the Norisring. Last year, we finally won again at the Norisring after a long time. We’d like to continue this success, but are expecting an extremely close event. Technically, brake, traction and top speed are the be-all and end-all in Nuremberg – and all of these are strengths of our new Audi RS 5 DTM.”

Due to TV coverage of the Tour de France, the two DTM races at the Norisring will start unusually late: on Saturday at 6:55 PM CEST and on Sunday at 5:20 PM. ARD will be airing live coverage from Nuremberg on “Das Erste.” Tickets and Audi fan packages are available online at www.audi.com/dtm.